What Helps Me When I Get Nervous
by CaRiNeSs
Summary: Casey tells Walsh that she gets nervous in court. He gets mad because he things Beaumont wants to know what he thinks about on the stand and enlists Casey to get it out of him. But what does he really think about and why can't Casey and Beaumont know?
1. Chapter 1

Okay, this is my first Unusuals Fic. I love Casey and Walsh together....hope you like it!

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Chapter 1

"Walsh, can I talk to you for a minute?" Casey looked a little pale as she waived Walsh over to the side of the hallway.

"Sure, What's up?" He asked as he stepped towards her.

"If I tell you something will you not make fun of me and help me?" She questioned.

Walsh shrugged, "Sure." He had never seen Casey look so agitated and wondered what on earth was worrying her.

"Well you know how we have to go to court today right?"

"Yeah…and?" He questioned.

"Well this is the first time I have had to testify in a murder case and I'm a little freaked out." She admitted, looking down at her hands.

"Are you kidding me?" Walsh got angry. "Did Beaumont tell you to ask me just because I wouldn't tell her what I thought about on the stand?"

Casey looked up in shock. "What? No, I am just really freaking out and since you're my partner, I thought maybe you could help. Why? What wouldn't you tell Beaumont?" Her look turning to confusion.

"Well I wouldn't tell her and I sure as hell can't tell you!" Walsh turned and angrily walked away from Casey who started after him in shock.

Just as Casey started to walk after him, Beaumont walked up to her. "What was that about?" She asked Casey as she watched an obviously irritated Walsh walk away.

"I have no idea. I told him that I was nervous about court this afternoon and he got upset, saying he wouldn't tell me either. Thought you had asked me to ask him something."

"Hah." Beaumont laughed. "I was gonna let it go but now I am really curious." She turned to look at Casey, "I told Walsh last night that I get really nervous testifying in court. He told me to just think of doing something that makes me happy because that always helps him. Everything was fine until I asked him what he thought about and he just flipped out. I guess he thought I told you to ask him."

"What could he be thinking about that makes him happy but he wouldn't tell you about?"

"I dunno, but I'm gonna find out."

"Well I guess it will have to wait because we have got to be on court in 20 minutes." Casey said, looking nervously at her watch.

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I will post more soon! Please read and review!!!


	2. Chapter 2

Here is Chapter 2! It's a little longer....hope you like it!

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When I get Nervous - Chapter 2

As Beaumont sat on the stand thinking about her man, Jason Walsh, she actually did feel more relaxed. She still wondered what he could be thinking of while he was on the stand but knew she would get it out of him... "One way or another," she thought with a smile grazing her tips.

Casey had tried to talk to Walsh before they made it into the courtroom. She didn't like him being angry with her but more than that, she was angry that he had thought she would trying to trick him.

Nicole turned around and motioned to Casey to get ready, as she would be the next called to the stand. Her thoughts suddenly drifted far away from her anger towards her partner and she felt her stomach flop again.

She was going to be sick. Casey gracefully stood up from her position on the pew she was seated in and stepped silently out the back doors of the courtroom. Once out of sight of the officers standing in the hallway, she bolted for the ladies room.

As her empty stomach heaved up the glass of water she had had for lunch, she heard someone knock on the door to the stall.

"Casey, are you okay?" Walsh rapped again on the outside of the stall Casey was in.

Casey wiped her mouth and pushed through the swinging door, nearly smacking Walsh in the face.

"This is the ladies room Walsh. What the hell are you doing in here?" Casey stepped around him to go to the sink and wash her face.

"I came to check on you. You practically ran out of the courtroom. You okay?"

"Does it look like I'm okay?"

"You knocked up?"

Casey turned to face him, "Excuse me? Am I pregnant? You have got to be kidding me. I throw up so you automatically assume that because I'm a girl I'm pregnant…. Thanks Walsh."

"So your not pregnant?" Wash questioned. Casey starting walking towards the doors but was stopped as Walsh placed a hand on her shoulder. "Okay, I take that as a no. I'm sorry, so what's wrong?"

"Oh yeah, now you want to be the concerned partner. I tried to tell you earlier what was wrong but you got mad at stormed off. Like I said earlier, I am nervous because this is my first murder trial. Hello?! Where have you been?"

"That why you only drank a glass of water for lunch?"

"Ding, ding, ding." Casey said sarcastically, "You finally got one right."

"Look Casey, I'm really sorry. I honestly thought Beaumont had you ask me. But look, being on the stand isn't a big deal. Just think of what makes you the happiest you have ever been. Even if it has never happened before, just think of something that would make you happy that you want more than anything. Then you get relaxed and you're good to go. You will do great." Walsh smiled at her.

"So that's what you do?"

"Yep."

"What do you think about?"

"Well I used to think about hitting the winning run in the World Series for the Yankees."

"The Yankee's huh?" Casey laughed, already feeling better. "What do you think about now?"

"Something better."

"Better than the World Series?" Casey questioned.

"Oh yeah. Much better."

"Cas….?" Beaumont questioned as she walked into the bathroom, stopping abruptly as she found Walsh in the room with her.

Walsh and Casey both turned to see Beaumont standing in the doorway of the women's restroom looking confused.

"What's going on?" She asked, turning to Walsh.

"Nothing, Casey was a little nervous but I think she's okay now." He looked to Casey.

"Yep, I'm better. That's what partners are for. Thanks." Casey emphasized the word partners hoping that Beaumont didn't get the wrong idea of why she was standing in the middle of a bathroom with her man.

"Oh, well they called a 5 minute recess when you weren't in there to get on the stand so we had better get back."

Casey smiled at Beaumont and walked towards the door. Walsh staring after Casey while Beaumont looked at him.

"What?" He asked. "I was just helping my partner. Let's get back in there." Walsh put his arm over Beaumont's shoulder and escorted her from the restroom.

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Thanks for reading! Please Review!


	3. Chapter 3

Sorry I haven't updated.... I have been super busy with work/school/vacation/moving, ect. This chapter is short but this is where I wanted to end it. Hope you like it! I promise to update soon! Thanks!

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Chapter 3

Jason felt a wave of guilt as he walked back into the courtroom, his hand now on the small of Beaumont's back. He didn't mean to feel the way he did, it was just so easy with Casey.

If he was honest with himself, it had never been that easy with Beaumont. Even in the beginning when it was just a casual fling, nights at one another's house were strictly about the sex. There was never that easy camaraderie that he felt whenever Casey was near.

He had tried so hard not to think about her. But trying so hard seemed to have the opposite effect. On and off the job, she seemed to drift back into his mind and he couldn't fight it. It gave him a calm feeling, like it was just right.

Just one thought of Casey seemed to clear everything from his mind. No matter if it was a case bugging him or a fight with Beaumont or even his mother nagging him on the phone. Nothing seemed as bad when her perfect face popped into his head.

The worst part about it was that he often thought of her even when he was with Beaumont. No matter what they were doing, he would imagine what it would be like with Casey.

Just last week he had almost called Beaumont Casey while they were in bed. That would have been a disaster. He had barely caught himself in time to avoid Beaumont's wrath.

He knew that this couldn't last much longer as it wasn't fair to any of them. Even if Casey didn't return his feelings, or thoughts as they might be, he couldn't lead Beaumont on any longer. It just wasn't there for him anymore and it wasn't right to stay with her knowing that he wasn't in love with her.

Beaumont shifted at his side, bring him back to reality as he heard Casey's name being called at the front of the crowded room.

Casey took a deep breath and gracefully stood from her position in the courtroom. She then squeezed out of the pew by stepping around Beaumont and Walsh.

As she passed Walsh, their eyes connected for a brief moment. He reached up to grasp her hand and smiled. "You'll do great," he whispered.

Casey nodded, still not looking very confident even though Walsh's touch had managed to quell some of her nerves. She headed towards the bailiff that was impatiently waiting to swear her in and stepped into the witness box.

"Do you, Det. Casey Shraeger, swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help you God?"

"I Do." Casey replied as she removed her left hand from the bible and she took her seat on the ice-cold chair.

Suddenly all eyes seemed to be on her. She took a few nervous breaths and blinked as she abruptly realized that Nicole had already begun asking her questions.

"What?" Casey asked, looked confusedly at the Assistance District Attorney.

Nicole began repeating the question but Casey still couldn't quite understand what she was saying. Her heartbeat seemed to completely block out all sound and Casey suddenly wondered if the others could hear it as well.

Unexpectedly, one sound seemed to break through to her, the sound of a cough. How she knew his cough, she would always wonder but her eyes began searching in the direction she knew she had come from.

As her eyes met his, everything fell away and her heart started to slow down. He smiled and nodded at her as she could finally hear the question Nicole had started asking for the third time. Her brown eyes attached themselves to his face, only occasionally glancing away to look at a jury member or Nicole.

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Please review!


	4. Chapter 4

I'm sorry this is so pathetically short but I have been looking at it for 2 days and didn't think I could extend this chapter any more. I think it ends at a good place so I am giving in and just posting it...again sorry about the shortness. Thanks so much! I love the reviews!

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Chapter 4

She felt like she was intruding on a private moment or something and looked away from her 'boyfriend.' The way Walsh was looking at his 'partner' on the stand hurt like hell. He looked at Shraeger in a way he had never looked at her before.

Beaumont thought about how different Jason was since becoming partners with Casey. It was a gradual thing really. She had first started noticing small things like extra plates being in the sink at the diner when she knew that he hadn't opened for the day. One day she even went early to surprise Walsh and saw that Casey was asleep at the bar.

If she wanted to have a meal with her boyfriend she would have to make plans in advance or she would get the excuse that he had already grabbed something with Casey.

Those incidents were bad enough but the worst thing was the time they were having sex and he stopped to answer his phone because Casey was calling. He then got up and let her in! It wasn't really even about a case; she just needed some help with something she was doing for a friend or something.

She had tried to overlook all of it and had actually convinced herself that she was looking more into it than was there. But after finding them in the bathroom earlier and how he was looking at her now, she couldn't keep fooling herself.

Jason was in love of that she was sure….but unfortunately it wasn't with her.

She desperately wanted to believe that it was because Shraeger had money or something but she knew that didn't matter to Jason. She knew he had been in love with her long before everyone found out she was part of the 25th richest family in Manhattan.

She could be the bigger person and be happy that he had found whatever it was he was looking for, even if it wasn't with her. But she sure wasn't a big enough person to be okay with being dumped and she knew it was coming.

Making up her mind, she knew she had to break up with him before he could break up with her.

Her attention drifted back to the courtroom as Casey crossed in front of her to regain her seat.

Walsh leaned across Beaumont and patted Casey's knee, "good job."

"Thanks." Casey smiled at him.

Beaumont rolled her eyes and waited as Jason was then called up to the front.

Jason Walsh was grinning like an idiot the whole time he was up on the stand. Confirmation of her previous thoughts registered in Beaumont's head as she glanced to her right to see Shraeger smiling right back at him.

She was a big girl, a cop afterall; she could handle a little heartbreak and come out better for the ware. Now she knew Jason wasn't the one and could move on to bigger and better.

Tears threatened to well up in her eyes but she fought them back. Tears would have to wait until she was home alone, snuggled under her big fluffy blanket with a tub of ice cream and angry chick music playing on her CD player.

She had been here before and would no doubt be here again. She sighed as she settled in and listened to the rest of the trial.

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Good place to stop right?! Please review! :)


	5. Chapter 5

So here is Chapter 5. I just wrote it and am posting it. No beta so the mistakes are all mine. If you see any, let me know and I will correct them. Hope you like it!

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Chapter 5

Beaumont had practically ran out of the courtroom when the proceedings completed for the day. She didn't want to talk to him just yet; she needed a little while to compose herself and get her thoughts in order before doing what had to be done.

Walsh watched her hurried retreat from the courtroom and wondered what was going on. He had wanted to talk to her right away. His adrenaline was still pumping from his testimony and he figured that if he did it now, it would be easier; at least for himself. If he waited, he was going to have to work up the courage again.

Casey gave Walsh a questioning look as she too had noticed Beaumont's abrupt departure.

Walsh shrugged, "Guess she had somewhere else to be."

"Yeah, I gotta go too. Have to meet Davis."

"Right, you two still…" Walsh let his sentence drift off, not sure what Davis and Casey were but hoping that they weren't still together.

"Um no." Casey looked uncomfortable. "We stopped seeing each other after about the tenth time I ran out on dinner because of a call. He didn't like always being left. The life of a cop," Casey shrugged. "I have a meeting about a potential investment thing my dad wants me to do…Davis still manages my trust fund so I have to meet him before to go over some stuff."

"Gotcha." Walsh smiled, "See ya later than."

"Bye." Casey nodded and waived to Walsh as she turned and headed towards the large double doors at the end of the isle they had been standing in.

"Bye" Walsh's words drifted to no one in the now deserted courtroom. Once the clock struck 5 on Fridays, everyone was out the door ready to start their weekend.

Walsh decided to walk the 18 blocks to his house instead of taking a cab. He had caught a ride with Beaumont that morning but obviously she had forgotten about him on her haste to leave the building.

The cool air would help clear his head and the alone time would give him time to think about how to proceed. His mind was already made up, it had to dump Beaumont but he wasn't quite sure how to do it.

The word dump was such a harsh word but he was no stranger to being on the giving end. He had dumped plenty of girls. Some girls he just quit calling and dodged if he happened to run into them on the street. Sometimes he would just pick up another girl and let the old girl see him do it. Sometimes he would be straightforward with them and tell them he didn't want to see them anymore.

But Beaumont didn't really fit into any of those categories. She was important to him, they had been friends log before they started dating. They also worked together which threw another wrench into his plans.

_What was that saying? Don't shit where you eat?_ Well he had done just that. And hell, he was hopefully about to do it again if all went to plan. But this time he knew it would be different.

Something about Casey told him it was real and it was for keeps. The thought scared the shit out of him but he knew it would be okay. She was the only one that he felt like taking that leap for. Hopefully, she would want to take it as well.

He thought back to his short conversation with her earlier about Davis. He was glad that the guy couldn't stand the job. He was a civilian though, he didn't under stand that when you are a cop, you are the job; you bleed blue.

One more plus for Casey; she understood the job. Hell, she loved it just as much as him and he knew it.

She seemed to be everything he never knew that he always wanted. He felt hokey for even thinking that but somehow it was true.

As he walked down the street, his thoughts were back and forth between Casey and Beaumont. His two main concerns were obvious, how to end things with Beaumont and start things with Casey.

He knew there was a chance that Casey wouldn't want him. He didn't think that was true but he wouldn't know till he tried. And he couldn't try as long as he was with Beaumont.

Which lead him back to the most important issue, how to break it off with Beaumont without hurting her. That was probably going to be impossible.

He looked around and noticed that his thoughts had brought him within a block of his Diner. He figured he could open for a few hours to pass the time while he figured out what to do next.

He went inside and had just flipped on the Open sign when he heard the bell ring at the front door, announcing his first patrons of the night.

He turned to see who had entered and his heart skipped a beat.

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Beaumont knew everyone had noticed her bolt for the door the second the judge had dismissed the courtroom. She just couldn't face him right then. She probably would have yelled at him and made a scene. Fortunately the judge had already left the room or she might have been in contempt if he had left her emotions take control and yelled at him like she had wanted to.

But she was a professional and the middle of a courtroom, after a murder trial with attorneys, cops, and probably 70 people watching, was not the time to make a death threat.

So she had run as far away from him and her and the courtroom as she could for the moment. She had left so abruptly that she hadn't thought about how she had driven him to work that morning until she saw his stupid coat slug across the front passenger seat of her department issued SUV.

She gritted her teeth and considered accidentally misplacing it out the window as she drove over the Brooklyn Bridge but decided that she would play nice, at least for now.

As she pulled up outside her apartment, a thought occurred to her. She knew that she had to be the dumper instead of the dumpee but she hadn't realized how to go about it until then.

This incredibly gorgeous guy had just moved in on the floor above her last week. They had run into each other, literally. She had been locking her front door while he had carried too many boxes down the hall and didn't see her step out in front of him. They had collided, sending his boxes to the ground. She had helped him pick them up and carry them upstairs.

She knew he would be willing to help. He had just moved to New York from Montana or Ohio and knew nobody. She grinned at the thought and hurried upstairs to ask for his help.

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Casey had been waiting outside his office for about twenty minutes when she got the call from Davis.

"Hey." Casey answered, a little frustrated for having to wait.

"Hey." Davis replied, seeming surprised, "Where are you?"

"Waiting outside your office, where are you? We did have a meeting right?"

"Uh yeah, that's what I was calling about. Something came up and I am just now getting to call you. I figured you would be late anyway. Sorry you've been waiting."

Somehow she didn't think he sounded very sorry. "Well are you on your way?"

"Actually no, I need to reschedule. I have some other business things I have to deal with tonight. I figured you would cancel anyways, like you usually do."

"Fair enough." Casey rolled her eyes, she knew he wouldn't just let it go with breaking up. "But you were wrong, I am here. When did you want to reschedule for?"

"I'm not sure. I will call you. That meeting with your father isn't till next week, so sometime before then."

Frustrated, Casey agreed, "Fine, no guarantee I can make it then though."

"Right, I'm sure something will be more important." Davis sneered at her.

"Davis, we have had this conversation before. I am a cop, through and through. When I get called, I have to go. I'm sorry you couldn't accept that but that is the way it is."

"I know, I'm sorry I brought it up. I will call you next week to reschedule that appointment."

Casey sighed. _What am I going to do now; the whole night off with nothing to do. I wonder what Walsh is doing._ Her heart started to beat faster at the mere thought of him. _Maybe I will stop by and see what he is doing._

She smiled to herself and walked out of the office building she had wasted the better part of 30 minutes in.

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This chapter is a little bit longer :) Hope you liked it... I will try to post more soon...


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Here is finally chapter 6. I've been super busy and haven't even thought about updating so for that I am sorry. Fortunately, there is a new Walsh/Shraeger story that I started reading that was written by reluctant-reporter that put me in the mood to write more of this story (check it out if you haven't). So thank you! I hope you like this chapter and I do really plan on posting the next one just as soon as I can get it written.

Nothing is beta'd so all mistakes are mine and of course I own nothing. Thanks :)

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Chapter 6

Casey smiled at the shocked expression on Walsh's face as she passed through the doors of the diner. "Hey."

"Hey Case. Thought you had to meet your boy…."

"Yeah he's not my boy….and…he stood me up for once. Something important came up or something." Casey shrugged.

"What could be more important than you?" Jason asked, only half joking.

"Great question…anyway, I was nearby and didn't have anything to do so…"

"So you stopped by to help me run the diner for tonight? That's so sweet….glad I could curb your boredom."

"So you're opening for tonight?"

"Yeah, I thought I'd open for a few hours. Give me something to do."

Casey smiled and walked over to the bar. She sat down at what was becoming known as her stool and opened a menu. She pretended to be looking it over when Jason stopped her, "What are you doing?"

Casey looked up questioningly, "What do you mean? I am looking at the menu. You're open and I'm hungry." Casey returned her gaze to the menu in her hands.

"I said you could help, not be a customer."

"Well, as I said, I'm starving. No lunch remember? I'll help once you feed me." She laughed. "Can't work for free now can I?"

"Fair enough." Walsh turned around and started pulling out the ingredients for waffles and grabbed a few pieces of bacon out of the fridge.

"How do you know what I want?" Casey asked, joining him behind the counter.

"Because I know you. Every time you eat here you want the exact same thing; waffles and a side of bacon."

"Well you could at least ask."

"Okay Detective Shraeger, what would you like today?"

Casey skimmed the menu again and acted like she was thinking while Walsh rolled his eyes and grabbed a glass and a coffee mug from the overhead rack. He continued to pour her a glass of orange juice and a cup of coffee and sat them on the counter.

"Okay, okay. Maybe I'm a little predictable."

Walsh just laughed and turned back to the bacon he had started frying.

"Shit." Casey exclaimed as her glass of orange juice fell to the floor, shattering into pieces.

Jason turned to see Casey's white shirt covered with the orange liquid and standing right behind her stool at the bar.

She sheepishly looked up, "Sorry. I don't know what happened. I just dropped it. "

Jason just stared at her, eyes glazing over as he looked at her shirt.

"Walsh?!" Casey looked down to see that his eyes were fixed upon her chest; her treacherous body revealing how cold she was. The soaked material of her shirt clung to her body, leaving little to the imagination.

Casey instantly raised her arms to cover her chest, which brought Walsh out of his contemplation.

"Sorry." He said shacking his head, trying to rid the image of Casey's body out of his mind. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, it just slipped." Casey said, shrugging and looking down at the mess she had made. "I'm so sorry."

"No problem."

"I should go change." Casey started to turn towards the door.

"No, wait." Walsh said a little to urgently, not wanting her to leave. "You can change here, there should be a couple t-shirts in the top drawer of my dresser. I'll clean this up." Jason told her, already grabbing the broom.

"Thanks." Casey said a little awkwardly as she took off towards the back of the diner in search of something dry and warm to put on.

Walsh shook his head. He had just been caught checking her out. He had noticed the slight tinge of pink color her cheeks as her hands had covered herself. _Way to go, _he thought as he turned back to the task at hand. _Make her uncomfortable so she wants to leave, great job bonehead._ He shook his head again, willing his body to calm down. Just the sight of her perfect breasts through the thin shirt had turned him on more than he could ever remember being.

He sighed and started sweeping up the glass. Just as he had dumped the last of it into the trashcan and went to grab the mop to get the sticky residue off the floor, the front door chimed, signaling his second patron of the evening.

Of course it was the one person he had been hoping to avoid, at least tonight. With Casey being here, he had completely forgotten about his dilemma of how to break up with Beaumont. But that's what Casey did to him, made him forget everything else but her.

Beaumont was dressed in a tight, black, knee-length dress with high heel boots and walked through the door with a grin on her face. In place of her normal slicked back up-do, her hair was let down past her shoulders with subtle waves framing her face.

"Hey. What happened?" Beaumont asked as she walked up to the dwindling puddle of orange juice.

"Casey dropped…."

Beaumont cut him off before he could finish. "Right. Casey…of course it was Casey, I should have known."

"Allison…" Jason started but was once again cut off by Beaumont as she raised a hand to stop him.

"Don't, just please don't. I'm not stupid Walsh. I know what's going on and I'm fine with it, really I am. But I can't do this anymore. That's why I am here. We gotta quit playing games with ourselves and each other. I have a date tonight and I just wanted to tell you up front. We both need to move on. Your heart hasn't been in this for a while and it's not fair to either of us."

"I'm sorry." Jason said, surprised by how much he really meant the words. "I didn't intend for any of this to happen. I would never intentionally hurt you."

"I know." Beaumont said, taking in a quick breath. "Don't worry about it. I'm a big girl. But you should make a move before it's to late cuz she's not gonna wait around forever. I know she's crazy about you, even if she doesn't know it herself."

"How do you know that?" Walsh asked just as Casey re-entered the diner.

"Oh sorry, am I interrupting?" Casey asked as she walked in wearing a Yankees t-shirt that Beaumont had bought for Walsh a few months before. "I can leave…" Casey turned back towards the door she had just exited.

"It's fine." They both said in unison.

Casey was about to apologize again for interrupting what seemed to be an intense conversation but was stopped by Beaumont's laughing.

"Hah." Beaumont eyed the familiar shirt swallowing the younger woman's body. "I'm not even going to ask."

"I spilled orange juice so Walsh let me borrow a shirt." Casey answered anyway, feeling a little self-conscious standing bra-less in an over-sized t-shirt in front of the elegantly dressed detective.

"Right." Beaumont just laughed as the door once again chimed and the three turned to see who had just entered.

"Casey?" asked the well-dressed man who had just walked in.

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Please review...it will encourage me to write faster! Thanks again and sorry about the wait :)


	7. Chapter 7

So here is Chapter 7. I just finished it. I'm sorry about any mistakes as I didn't have a beta and I am not one for editing.

Of course I own nothing or The Unusuals would still be on TV.

Thanks for reading! Hope you like it! Thank you to everyone who has reviewed or added this story to your alerts! You guys are awesome!

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Chapter 7

"Casey? You two know each other?" Beaumont asked as she turned to the gentleman who had just walked through the door.

"Um yeah…" Casey asked confused as Beaumont was addressing Davis and not her. "Wait, how do you two…"

"I'm actually here to pick up Allison." Davis said awkwardly. "What are you doing here Casey?"

"You're picking up Beaumont? I didn't even know you knew Beaumont."

"And I didn't know he knew you either. I thought he didn't know anybody in town." Beaumont looked accusingly at Davis.

"I know her from work. I manage her trust fund and…"

"And we use to date." Casey finished the sentence for him.

"Oh great…one more person who is in love with Casey." Beaumont looked at Jason who until that moment was silently watching the group of people with interest. His face turned red and he turned around to tend to the already burning bacon.

"What are you talking about?" Casey asked as Davis quickly replied, "I'm not in love with her."

"Yeah I didn't mean anything by it…forget I said anything. I will leave you two to talk… I need to talk to Jason for a minute anyway." Beaumont walked back behind the counter where Jason was staring at the burnt breakfast.

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"Casey turned to Davis, "So what are you doing here?"

"I'm going on a date with Allison. How do you two know each other?"

"A date? I thought she was with Walsh? And how do you two know each other?" Casey began asking question after question, finally pausing to give Davis enough time to respond.

"Apparently they broke up. I just moved into her building and we started talking. Since I don't know anybody, she asked me if I wanted to go hang out with her. Since you were always ditching me, I thought a little social interaction outside of work would be nice. How do you know her?"

"We work together." Casey said flatly.

"Please don't tell me she's a cop. I can't date another cop."

"Yes, she is a cop. Detective Beaumont. I know I have mentioned her before."

"Wait, she's the one who was dating your partner right? And this is your partner's diner which is why you are here." Recognition dawned on his face as he finally put two and two together.

Casey just nodded.

"So he's the guy who was in love with someone else and that's why she dumped him."

"Jason is in love with someone else?" Casey asked, an awful feeling settling in her stomach. She had been almost happy to know he was no longer with Beaumont but to know it was because he was in love with someone else made her feel uneasy. _How could he have fallen in love with someone else? When would he have even met someone else? Why does it bother me anyway?_

"Uh hello?" Davis asked, pulling her out of her musing.

"Yeah?" Casey felt the tears rise in her eyes as she looked at Davis.

"Oh my gosh. You're in love with him."

"What?" She asked, feigning ignorance, "I'm in love with who?"

"You're in love with your partner. I should have seen this a long time ago. Maybe all those times you 'had' to leave were just because you wanted to be with him instead of me."

"I really don't know what you are talking about Davis." Casey replied, blinking her eyes to keep her unshed tears from spilling over.

"Don't even try to deny it Casey. Look at you, I mention that the guy is in love with someone else and you start acting all weird and don't act like you aren't. You are practically crying for goodness sake and you don't cry. I know you Casey, better than you want to believe. If you like the guy you should tell him before its too late. I know what it's like to be in love with someone who isn't in love with you and it sucks. So if you want a chance with this dude then you have got to put it all on the line and tell him what you think. If you don't, you will regret it."

Casey looked over to see Beaumont with her hand on Walsh's shoulder as she whispered something in his ear.

The epiphany hit her like a ton of bricks. She didn't just like the guy or care about him. He wasn't just her partner or a really good buddy. He didn't just look after her on the job. She was in love with him. _I am majorly, totally, butt-crazy, head-over-hills in love with Jason Walsh._

She wanted to be the one with her hand on his shoulder and leaning into him to whisper in his ear. She wanted to be the one he made breakfast for in the mornings and the one that helped in close the diner at night before they went back into his little apartment. She wanted to wear his Yankee's baseball t-shirt with nothing on underneath and have him look at her like she was the most beautiful thing on earth. She wanted for him to look at her the way he had been earlier and feel comforted by it instead of weird-ed out. She wanted to be the one who had dumb number games to play with him while they were at work about how many times she had thought about sleeping with him that day. Truthfully, she just wanted him.

Maybe that was why she had pushed Davis away and ran out on him every chance she got. She didn't want to be with him, but he was biding her time while Jason was dating Beaumont. Now was her chance though. If Walsh and Beaumont had really broken up she had to act now. Even if he was in love with someone else and had no feelings for her, she had to risk it or she would always wonder what could have been.

She was in a trace as she stared at the pair, oblivious to Davis whispering something in her own ear. All she seemed to be able to focus on was the man laughing across the room from her. He looked happy and maybe even excited and she wondered what he was thinking and if he and Beaumont truly were over.

She noticed Walsh glance at her for a second before turning his attention back to Beaumont who had just started walking towards them.

* * *

Beaumont had left Casey and Davis to go speak with Jason. "I'm sorry about that, it just kind of slipped out."

"Yeah thanks. I want to be the one to tell her." Jason sneered.

"I'm pretty sure she didn't know I was talking about her. If there is one thing that Casey is, she's clueless when it comes to you. She has no idea you're in love with her."

"How do you know that?"

"Because she clueless to the fact that she's in love with you too. What other woman would give a guy advise about another girl if she was in love with him."

"That makes it worse. She doesn't love me or she wouldn't have."

"It's that she doesn't know she's in love with you Jas. She's going to figure it out though; I guarantee it. Everyone down at the precinct sees the way you two look at each other. I was an idiot to ignore it for so long and think that it could or would just go away."

Beaumont leaned in while placing her hand on his shoulder and whispered, "It's her isn't it? That you think about on the stand. Better than the world series?"

Walsh smiled and nodded, "How'd you know?"

"Are you kidding me? The way both of your faces lit up today in court. I could no longer deny anything after I saw that."

"Hers lit up too?" Jason was getting excited about the thought that maybe Casey had been thinking about him in court.

Beaumont laughed at his giddiness, "Yeah, hers lit up too. The whole damn placed noticed. Look I should get going. Tell her how you feel before you miss your chance."

Walsh nodded and looked over to see Casey watching him. He smiled at her then looked back to Beaumont as she turned to leave.

* * *

"We should get going." Beaumont said, addressing Davis.

"Yeah. I will see you next week Casey." Davis nodded goodbye towards Jason and met Beaumont at the door.

"Bye." Casey replied, still staring in the direction of Jason Walsh.

"Well that was interesting." Beaumont replied as she stepped through the door that Davis had held open for her. "I didn't realize you were Casey's ex-boyfriend."

"Yeah, I had no idea that you were a cop." Davis replied.

"Do you still want to have dinner?" Allison asked, a little unsure how she felt about the situation now. She didn't want to go out with Casey's ex-boyfriend but she knew Davis seemed like a good guy.

"Yeah, but I have to be honest. The cop thing might be a deal breaker for me. With Casey running out on me all the time, I don't think I want to go back down that road."

"I know what you mean. How about we just have a friendly dinner and take it from there."

"Okay. But please don't run out on me. I hate being left by myself right as the food is delivered."

Beaumont laughed, "She run out on you a lot?"

"Basically every time we went to eat."

"Well I'm not on call or anything so we should be good for the evening."

"I've heard that one before." Davis rolled his eyes.

"I won't leave. I promise." Beaumont smiled as the two made their way towards the SUV parked down the street from the diner.

* * *

Back inside the diner Jason cleared his throat, "I guess I burned your breakfast."

"It's okay," Casey said a little awkwardly. "How about we order pizza?"

"Sounds good." Jason picked up the phone and began dialing the number as he went to switch the sign on the front door to closed. "Pepperoni?"

"Sounds perfect." Casey's stomach did a little flip at the smile Walsh was giving her.

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So there it is. At least it was up a little bit quicker than the last one. I hope to update at least once a week now. Please review!


	8. Chapter 8

Here is Chapter 8...as always, mistakes are mine. I hope that you like this chapter. It kinda took a direction I didn't anticipate when I sat down to write it.

As always, I LOVE your reviews. I haven't gotten as many the last couple chapters...probably because it took so long to update. I really hope people are still reading this.

Thanks to all of you who have reviewed or added this story to your alerts! You guys are awesome and make me want to write! Thanks again!!!

And of course... I own nothing or the show would still be on and Casey and Walsh would be together.

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Chapter 8

The pair sat in an awkward silence as they waited for the pizza to be delivered; each stealing small glances at the other when they believed the other wasn't looking. More often than not, they would catch the other staring at them and then both look away quickly as if it didn't happen.

"Um… you did great today by the way." Walsh started with what he thought was a safe enough subject.

"Thanks." Casey smiled at him, "you really helped me a lot. I don't know what I would have done without you."

"No problem. It's the least I could do for my partner." He stepped closer to her.

"Right." Casey got a grin on her face as she suddenly remembered something. "So, you looked awfully happy on the stand. What is it that you were thinking about that is better than the World Series? Can you tell me now? Whatever it is makes you pretty damn happy."

Walsh's mind went back to what he had been thinking about on the stand. He had been thinking about her of course. But not just hanging out with her. Today the daydream on the stand had gone to a whole other level. It had started out with him going after her in the court room and finding her in the bathroom stall to him pressing himself into her against that very still as his tongue battled against hers and his hands roamed her naked body.

Walsh realized he was turning a bright shade of red and had yet to answer her. _This is definitely something I can never tell her._

"Are you going to tell me?" she questioned.

_So much for a safe topic._ "Well….I would but then I would have to kill you. And I'm a cop so I could get away with it."

Casey laughed, "Like you could."

"I can take you Shraeger, you know I can!"

Before he knew what was happening she had grabbed his beer out of his hand as to not spill something else and had pushed his feet out from under him, sending him tumbling to the newly cleaned floor. Realizing what was happening just a second to late, Walsh reached out and grabbed her by the waist, taking her down with him.

The two landed with Casey laying draped over Walsh's body, their faces merely inches from each other.

They started at each other for a moment, neither wanted to break eye contact but they didn't know what to say.

"At least I didn't spill the beers." Casey laughed, rubbing her chest even closer to Walsh. She held up the two that she had managed to keep upright in her hands on her tumble downward.

Walsh gripped her waist tighter with one hand and reached up with the other to move the hair that had fallen into her face back behind her ear. His hand lingered on her cheek as he started to bring her face closer to his. His lips had just grazed hers when someone started knocking on the door.

Walsh laid his head back against the ground with a heavy sigh. "Pizza's here."

Casey shifted her weight off of Walsh's body. Walsh jumped to his feet and then pulled up Casey beside him. "I'll be right back."

Walsh pulled out his wallet and walked towards the front door of the diner. "How much?" he grunted as he unlocked and pulled open the door, frustrated that he had been interrupted just as he was finally going to kiss Casey.

"I'm sorry?" answered the voice of Eddie Alvarez.

Walsh looked up to see Eddie and Nicole standing outside the door of the diner with questioning looks on their faces.

"Sorry, I thought you were the pizza guy. What's up?"

"We were in the neighborhood, thought we would stop by to see what you were up to on a Friday night." Eddie replied as Nicole pushed passed Walsh and into the diner.

"Great job in court today by the way, I know we will get a guilty verdict after you and Casey's testimonies. Both were pretty damming." Nicole replied as she spotted Casey sitting at the counter. "Well speak of the devil." Nicole smiled and walked towards Casey.

"What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same question Nicole." Casey plastered a fake smile on her face as he old 'friend' took a seat next to her.

"What on earth are you wearing?" Nicole raked her eyes over the well-worn Yankee's tee. "I know that is not your shirt and why aren't you wearing a bra? Wait….are you and Walsh…" She made a gesture with her hand indicating the two of them together.

Casey immediately shushed Nicole. "No, we are not together. I had a little accident and he let me borrow a shirt. That's all."

"Right…the looks the two of you were giving each other in court today contradicts that little story of yours." Nicole smirked. "He's cute. He will never be Chief of Police like Eddie will someday and he runs this dreadful diner. But you could do worse I guess. What about that other guy you were seeing?" She replied as she looked Walsh over who was still standing at the door talking with Eddie.

"Davis and I broke up; he just manages my trust fund now."

"Never diddle the help, it causes issues when you need them to do something for you."

"You are a snob and a half Nicole."

"What fun is it being rich if you can't use it to your advantage?" Nicole laughed.

"You will never change will you?" Casey rolled her eyes but laughed, Nicole would always be Nicole.

"I don't have to. So, how is he in the sack?" Nicole wagged her eyes towards Walsh. "And what about Beaumont?"

"We aren't sleeping together and they broke up, big drama about him being in love with someone else. So see, nothing is going on with us, he wants someone else."

"Who?"

"I have no idea."

"Well then obviously it's you. It's only noticeable to everyone who has eyes. I think Eddie even mentioned it once. Walsh is head-over-heels in love with you. If you knew him before he knew you, you could tell the difference."

"You think?" Casey smiled.

"Duh, he's totally into you. Trust me." Nicole then turned to her husband and spoke up, "We need to get going if we are going to make it to our reservation on time sweetheart."

"We still have over an hour." Eddie looked confused as he turned towards his wife.

"Yes, but I wanted to stop by Tiffany's to get a little reward for doing so well in court today." Nicole walked back towards her husband and linked her arm through his. "You two have fun with your beer and pizza." Nicole winked at Casey then ushered her husband back through the front door almost bumping into the Pizza guy that had just arrived.

"Pay for their pizza sweetie." Nicole nudged her husband towards the pizza man.

"What, why?"

"Because they helped me win in court today, now do it."

Alvarez pulled out his wallet and paid for the pizza. Walsh laughed and took the pizza from Alvarez, "Thanks."

"No problem. Have a good night." Nicole somehow managed to make that comment sound dirty then pulled her husband back out the door, closing it behind her.

"They are weird." Walsh replied as he locked the door back.

"At least we got free pizza out of the deal." Casey took the box from him and sat back down at the bar. "I'm starving." She took out a slice of pepperoni and began eating, avoiding eye contact. She knew that as soon as they were finished eating that they would have to discuss what was going on and what had nearly just happened. She just hoped that Nicole was right and that it was her he was in love with.

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So what'd you think? Please review and let me know!!! Thanks so much for reading!


	9. Chapter 9

Wow...it's been a while since I have updated. Sorry about that. Here is the next chapter. I'm pretty sure I just have 1 chapter left in this story but I have been super busy.

All mistakes are mine...I'm not an editor. Hope you like it! I own nothing....

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Chapter 9

"I wanted to…."

"So I thought…." Casey and Jason had both started talking at the same time. They had finished eating, thrown away the paper plates and were each nursing a beer.

"You go first." Casey said as she swiveled in her chair to so she could look fully at Jason.

"Okay." Jason nodded; his stomach a ball of nerves. "You know, I can't do this here." He grabbed Casey's hand and pulled her to the back of the diner and into his tiny one bedroom apartment.

She was confused but followed behind him without saying a word. Jason turned to her and placed his hands on her upper arms. He then turned her so that she was in between him and his bed and gently pushed down until Casey understood what he meant and sat down on the edge of the bed.

Jason stood up and turned away from her. He immediately began pacing back in fort in front of her. His pacing was making her nervous and she wondered what he was about to say.

"What is this about Jason? You know you can tell me anything." She questioned when she saw the slight sheen of sweat pooling at his temples.

"It's just, I don't want to mess up our partnership ya know? We work so well together and I really can't remember the last time I felt so comfortable with my partner. You know my last partner was crooked but our partnership meant a lot and I would have done anything short of murder for him. But I was comfortable with him. I could trust that he had my back but I didn't really confide in him. I didn't feel as though we were friends or like I could tell him anything. And maybe that's just because you're a girl and I've never had a girl partner before but I feel really comfortable with you." Jason paused, looking up to make sure she was still listening. He really didn't mean to ramble on but he was nervous and didn't quite know how to say what he wanted to say.

Casey nodded as a feeling of dread washed over her. _Great. He's comfortable with me and I'm a friend. This is going to be the Casey, I think you're great but I don't like you like you speech. _Honestly, it hurt. She knew she probably didn't have a shot with him. I mean yeah she had money but he dated a different kind of girl.

He had never dated a short, plain girl like her. Beaumont had been tall and exotic. She had even met a couple of his blonde bimbos a time or two at random places. The girls that were all legs and boobs were his normal type. She kicked herself for believing that for once he might actually like someone like her. She quietly looked at him, urging him to continue while she came up with a cover story. _No Walsh, I'm not in love with you. How could you even think that?_ She had to play it off cool so she didn't lose him and it didn't make things awkward.

Walsh noticed the look that had appeared on Casey's face as he was finish his speech. She had understood him loud and clear. He had told her in a roundabout way that he was in love with her and she was making a face that told him that she felt anything but the same way.

As Casey offered no change of subject or words of any kind, Jason took a deep breath and decided to lay it all on the line. He already knew her obvious answer but felt like he couldn't leave it just where it was. It was something that he had to say for himself. He had to hear her say the words that she didn't want him or he would continue to pine away for her. Maybe once he told her and she shot him down he would finally be able to get over her and move on. A nagging feeling in his gut told him that there was no way he could move on but he ignored it.

"I know what you are going to say. And I don't know for sure when this happened or why it happened. I just hope you will still want to be partners. We've come this far. I mean, I think I have had some type of feelings for you since the night we became partners. I didn't fall in love with you till much later but we've worked together fine this whole time so I don't see why we can't continue to. You know how I hate new partners. And I realize that I'm not rich or high-class like Davis or the other guys you probably date so I'm not sure why I thought I might have a chance. But if we could just move past this and go back to the way everything was then….."

He was interrupted by Casey, "wait, I don't want to be with you?" She was extremely confused. She thought he was going to tell her that he didn't want to be with her and he had just told her he was in love with her.

"I know. You don't have to tell me that. I'm sorry I even brought it up, I just thought that maybe we could be more ya know and…."

Casey stood up from the bed and walked over to him. She stepped in front of his pacing figure and blocked his way so he had to stop. She placed one finger over his lips to silence his insane rambling.

"Stop," she ordered.

"But I shouldn't have…" Jason started again and she once again shushed him.

"Jason Walsh. You are dumb. You think I don't want you? I thought you were trying to tell me that you knew I was in love with you and that you didn't love me." She laughed, suddenly very excited; glad she had finally said it out loud to him.

"Wait. Did you just say that you are in love with me?" Walsh said around the finger that was still covering his lips.

Casey smiled and nodded. She removed her finger from his lips and leaned forward to press her lips against his. Jason immediately wrapped his arms around her back and pulled her body snug against his.

Jason pulled away for only a moment, "yeah, remember who said I love you first though." Casey giggled for the first time in her life as she shrugged, "well remember who kissed who first." She then returned her lips to Jason's, right where they were supposed to be.

"I love you," she whispered after a moment.

"I love you too." Jason replied as he pushed her back down onto his bed and hopped on top of her, stealing her lips once again.

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So there is chapter 9. Did you like it?! They are finally together!!! Please review :)


	10. Chapter 10

Okay, I know I am a loser. I promised an update 3 weeks ago and am just now giving you a very short one. I was sick that weekend I promised an update and then I have been super busy with school since I'm graduating in May (hopefully). College sucks! I started this chapter forever ago and just kinda wrote more so I could get something up. It took me some place I wasn't expecting to go so who knows where we will go from here. I am really going to try to update soon but it will probably be at least a few weeks before I can. Please stay with me... I'm not going to abandon this I promise. Thanks for reading!!!

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Chapter 10

Jason pulled Casey closer to him and smelled her hair, still not quite believing she was here, in his bed, with him. He had had the greatest night of his life and wasn't ready for it to end just yet.

Casey was still asleep, wearing only the Yankee's t-shirt she had borrowed the previous night and Jason was mesmerized by how cute she looked while sleeping. Her mouth was barely open and a drop of drool glistened at the corner of her top lip.

Casey could almost feel someone staring at her and was brought back to reality when she felt someone beside her move. She had been having the most wonderful dream. Her and Jason had finally gotten together and she didn't want to wake up to the dreaded actuality of her life.

Then it dawned on her that no one should be beside her and she opened her eyes as she quickly sat up. The dream she had been having suddenly expanded into her reality and she remembered what had happened the previous night. She and Jason had gotten together; four times if her memory served her correctly.

"Morning." Jason smiled at her.

"Morning." Casey replied, sleep still evident in her raspy voice.

"Sleep well?"

Casey nodded, "better than I have in a long time."

"It's you ya know." Jason said, pulling Casey even closer.

"It's me? What's me?" Casey questioned, confused as to what Jason was talking about.

"That I think about while I'm on the witness stand. You make me feel calm, like I can face anything."

Casey grinned, "I'm better than the Yankees?"

"Much, much better, especially now that I can do this." He leaned forward and kissed her. "Now I can think about memories instead of just fantasies." Jason ran his hands under the Yankee's t-shirt and squeezed her bare bottom.

Casey laughed and pulled him on top of her, stealing his lips again.

Two hours later the couple was showered and Jason was dressed. Casey had no clean clothes and was not about to wear the few clothes of Beaumont's that were left in the closet.

"I'll just wear my dirty clothes home. I'm glad we don't have to go into work till later." Casey began putting her jeans on but decided to wear Jason's Yankee's tee instead of her orange juice covered one.

"Or you could just wear my shirt in and we could have some more time here." Jason walked up behind Casey and put his arms around her, kissing her neck.

"Yeah, because no one would wonder why I'm wearing your clothes. I don't think so. Let's go by my place so I can change then grab lunch at Apollo, I'm starving."

After Casey once again turned down Jason's advances at her apartment, the couple went to Apollo for lunch. This was something they normally did but for some reason both were feeling anxious at the prospect of being around their co-workers now that they were together.

They were seated right away with no signs of co-workers in sight. They ate in an amicable silence, only chatting from time to time about a case or something that Banks had done to prevent from being killed before he turned 43.

Everything was fine until the check came and they both reached for it at the same time. Jason got to it first and Casey looked at him dismayed. "But it's my turn to pay."

Jason smirked, "you're cute when you make that face. But, I'm gonna pay today."

"But it's my turn to pay. Give me the check Walsh." Casey reached for the paper in his hand.

"Sorry, no can do. I'm the guy and I'm not going to make you pay for our first meal together as a couple." He held the white and green ticket out of her reach.

"Nope, we are about to go into work. We are at Apollo this isn't a date. This is partners having lunch together, therefore It's my turn to pay and I'm going to. You however, can pay when we go out to dinner tomorrow night." She smiled sweetly at him and finally managed to grab the ticket.

"Alright, fair enough."

"Plus, I've seen your bank account." She made a frightened face, "no way you can afford to pay all the time."

"Haha…very funny Shraeger." Casey just shrugged. "I do okay. I don't have a trust fund or anything but I try to save some money here and there. I do own my own business."

Casey grinned, "Right, a business that serves M&M and bacon pancakes for dinner. It's okay though. That's one of the things I love the most about you."

"That I'm poor?"

"No, that you are real. You have worked hard for everything you have. Nothing was just handed to you. I respect that."

"Thanks." Jason grinned and leaned across the table to give her a simple peck on the lips.

Casey grabbed a couple bills out of her pocket and grin at Jason, "we better get going. Don't want to be late for work."

Jason nodded and walked towards the door with Casey by his side, both of them to busy to notice the group of people in the corner that were watching the entire scene play out.

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Who do you think was watching them? Please review...makes me wanna update quicker! Thanks again!


	11. Chapter 11

So here it is...the final chapter. I am a loser and took FOREVER to update this story... I know I suck. Nothing sucks more than waiting for a chapter to be updated and I really am sorry. I had school and finals then graduation and then surgery which took a while to recovery from. Then I had my cousin's graduation to go to and Father's Day. Basically life got in the way!

I have a great idea for another story for Unusuals but I want to get it mostly wrtten before I start posting so the same thing doesn't happen.

Now that it is summer, I hope to write more before I start Grad School in August.

I hope that there are people still out there reading this! Please let me know what you thought. It's not beta'd and of course I own nothing!

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Chapter 11

Sergeant Brown leaned back in his chair watching his crew through the large window in his office. His eyes kept drifting to the newest NYPD couple. The previous week it had been Walsh and Beaumont making googly-eyes at each other. Now it was partners Jason Walsh and Casey Shraeger.

He didn't know what to think about it. Walsh and Shraeger were two of his best officers. Shraeger he had personally handpicked from vice and Walsh he had had a soft spot for since his first day when Brown had put him through the ringer. Surprisingly the rookie detective had lived up to and even exceeded his expectations.

Not only were both great detectives on their own, they seemed like a match made in heaven. Sure, Shraeger was still new to the whole homicide thing but she could hold her how and he respected her for it. Her downfalls seemed to be Walsh's strengths and vise versa. When the two of them worked together, bad guys beware. They just had an understanding and seemed to know how to be each other's equal while also having their own abilities.

That's why he was at a loss for what to do. Splitting up the team would make be a bad move. Plus whom would he partner them with? Walsh sure as hell wasn't going to work as well with anyone else and he hated to pull a partner away from him when he had just lost his previous partner that he had been with for years, especially a partner that seemed to match him so well.

But could he really have a couple who were dating be partners? It was hard enough for partners to be partners without bringing in the added stress of a relationship. He did know though that if any couple could make it work, it would be Walsh and Shraeger.

He remembered the brief look on Walsh's face when he had paired him with Casey. His first reaction had been upset at getting a new partner when his old partner's body wasn't even cold yet but once had seen her, a brief look of attraction and need at pasted over his face. It was so quickly there and gone that unless you knew Walsh as well as he did, you would have never noticed the difference.

He had almost considered not making them partners at seeing this because he knew what it could lead to but decided to give them a chance. He did not know that Walsh was seeing Detective Beaumont at the time, he thought there was a possibility of something going on between the two but had brushed it off. When his thoughts were confirmed however, he looked the other way because he knew that Beaumont and Walsh being together would keep Walsh's eyes away from his new partner.

He had obviously been wrong. This really didn't surprise him though as he had seen the looks they had been giving each other for a while now. What did surprise him was that two of his best detectives had completely missed the fact that he was sitting in the corner with his wife and a few friends at the Apollo when the couple had come in together. He was glad that no one in the rest of his squad was in the diner at the moment. If the whole department knew, this would cause trouble. He knew it was a matter of time but hoped the couple would keep it under wraps for as long as possible. Normally Walsh and Shraeger were both so aware of their surroundings; this was what gave him pause.

If they could miss something so obvious, then what would happen on the job? Not only did you depend on your partner for helping you catch the bad guy, but also you depended on your partner to watch your back. If the two of them were so concerned about each other would they really be able to watch each other's backs in a non-bedroom related way?

He wasn't sure. He knew there were rules about things like this but rules were made to be broken and he hoped that this couple was the exception. If they could prove to be professional and not let anything get in their way while on the job, he could look the other way about what they did at home.

He had quite a few decisions to make concerning the pair. He figured he would give them a chance and just see how they interacted for a while. As long as they solved their cases and didn't have any major problems, he would leave them as partners. This would be something they would have to prove to him. He wouldn't tell them they were being tested but he hoped they would live up to it regardless.

Sergeant Brown sighed and turned back to his desk, no longer lost in thought. He couldn't let Walsh and Shraeger's relationship distract him for his work either.

A month later, Brown surveyed the couple one last time. He had paid very close attention to everything they did; making sure that it was all strictly professional while on the job. They had been poster children of professionalism and neither ever let it slip that they were anything other than friends and coworkers while they were at work or the bar.

He knew that some of the people in the department, especially Detective Beaumont, had to know about the couple but no one talked about it. He was very impressed with his squad.

He was however disappointed that Walsh and Shraeger did not let him in on the secret as he had gotten upset with Walsh for the exact same thing when he was dating Detective Beaumont.

He thought hard about it one day, not knowing if he should confront them or let them come to him. He had finally decided that he was going to confront them when Detective Walsh stuck his head in the door of his office.

"Mind if we speak with you for a minute?" Walsh nodded to Shraeger who was standing beside him in the doorway.

"Sure, no problem." Brown replied, obviously interested in what they were going to say.

The couple came in and closed the door behind them, each taking a seat in front of Sergeant Brown's oak desk. The look on their faces showed that they were nervous but were trying really hard not to let it show.

Brown would have laughed outright had he not wanted to give away the fact that he already knew. This was definitely going to be interesting and he wanted to make them squirm for a while before he let them off the hook.

Jason looked at Casey and then began to speak. "Sir, Casey and I wanted to tell you something."

Casey smiled and nodded at Jason, giving him some encouragement. "Casey and I….well we are…" he was really uncomfortable and Brown smiled.

"You are what?" Brown aided, trying to help him.

"Well, we are afraid we can no longer be partners, sir." Casey finally stepped in and took over explaining what Walsh was nervous to do.

This caught Brown by surprise as he thought they were only going to tell him that they were in a relationship.

"What do you mean you can't be partners anymore? Is this because you are dating? Because I already knew that..." panic was in his voice at the thought of losing the pair before him.

"You knew?" Walsh and Casey both had confusing looks on their faces as their boss confessed his knowledge to them.

"Well yes, I have known. I have been monitoring the situation though for any signs of issues and there have been none so I decided to let the two of you continue your relationship. I have no idea why you couldn't be partners anymore."

"Well, maybe this will explain it." Casey leaned over and handed Brown the papers that were in her hand.

Brown had not even noticed them before. As he looked at them, his eyes bugged out of his head and he looked back up. "You mean you are? You two? When did this happen?" He sat the name change papers down on his desk and looked up at the pair in front of him.

"Yesterday." Walsh smiled and grabbed Casey's hand that she had laid on her lap.

"I see. Well I guess you are correct then, you can't be partners anymore. I am sorry about that but this is a rule that I can't overlook. It would create too many problems." Brown then noticed the ring on Casey's left hand as Walsh kissed her fingers and smiled.

He had completely missed both their rings and the name change papers in Casey's hand. Maybe he needed to be a better detective. He had had no idea that it was that serious.

"You two have only been together a month! Are you sure that this is what you want?" Brown questioned.

They both smiled and nodded.

"Alright, Shraeger err… Walsh I guess now," the detective began, initially forgetting that Casey had a new last name. "I guess you will be paired with Alvarez for right now. Walsh?" He turned to Jason, "you will be on your own till we find you a new partner."

"Alvarez?" Casey questioned.

"For now, we will figure out something more permanent later." Now Brown had a smile on his face, Casey and Jason's seemed to be contagious. "Does anyone out there know?"

"Nope, not that we know of."

"Alright, do you mind if I tell them?"

"Go ahead." Casey said as she stood up next to Walsh and looked out the window. They had already drawn the attention of a few of their coworkers.

Brown walked to the door and Jason and Casey followed him out of the office.

"Can I have everyone's attention for a moment?" Brown asked calling the few people up there were not already being nosey. "First off Alvarez," Brown started speaking as he walked up to the group that was gathering outside of his window. "I am _temporarily_ going to partner you with Walsh."

"Alright." Alvarez said walking up to Jason to shake his hand.

"Not that Walsh." Brown said, leaving Alvarez very confused.

"Detective Casey Walsh." Jason and Casey smiled and grabbed each other's hands once again.

"Um, Sarg, Casey's last name is Shraeger." Eddie said, clearly confused.

"Not anymore." Brown smiled. "My second announcement is that we have a new team member, I would like to introduce you all to Detective Casey Walsh."

The group all were at shock for a second before congratulations started going around the room. Everyone was truly happy for Jason and Casey.

"Let's all go to Apollo for some drinks, we are starting the weekend early." Brown announced as the team headed out the door.

* * *

That's the end...what'd ya think?


End file.
